Mohave Bob

Mohave Bob cats were developed by existing breeds which have their heritage or foundation in feral/domestic crosses, crossing four different mutations in the ideal cat, having curled hair, curled ears extra toes on the feet (polydactyl), and has a natural short tail.. They are large boned, strong, muscular cats which are stocky yet cobby to medium in length with longer hind legs, ears and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. They may come in either short or long hair, have either a short or long tail, have straight or curled ears, and may be polydactyl.

Mohave Bob Breed Characteristics

The head is a large broad but not round head with ears setting low , with a broad pronounced muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. Their chin is inline with the nose leather, nose leather being wide and inline with inside corners of the eyes, yet having a broad spacing between the eyes.

The wide set eyes are large and expressive, with eyes being triangular in shape and holding the wild look to them, pronounced by heavy brows that give the profile of the head as having parallel planes for the muzzle and forehead, with colors ranging from gold to green, with blue in the snows, aqua in the minks, and green or gold in the sepia

The tail may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx (although not desirable), or it may be any length in between, a natural short to hock length bobtail being preferred.

The gene for curled hair is a dominant gene.

Mohave Bobs are affectionate and outgoing to people they know. We always advise people to plan on giving Mohave Bobs cubs a couple of weeks to adjust to a new environment. Once they make the adjustment, however, they are an absolute delight.

Do not expect Mohave Bobs to just sit around your house all day. They are active cats, but they are not curtain climbers, as are some of the more active breeds. They are usually not very vocal. Mohave Bobs do get along well with dogs, children, and other breeds of cats.

Mohave Bob Colors and Patterns

Mohave Bobs officially come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, and lilac--including silvers, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. However, it is not uncommon for them to occur in red and cream colors.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Mohave Bob Dietary Requirements

A Mohave Bobs does not require a specialized diet. They thrive on high quality cat chow such as Iams or Royal Canine. Our cats' diets consist primarily of dry chow, but we do give kittens a good quality canned food as a treat in the evenings. Dietary supplements or vitamins used with any other domestic cat may also be used with Mohave Bobs.

Mohave Bob Size

Bobcats range in size from fifteen to thirty-five pounds. Twenty to twenty-five pounds is the average size. Mohave Bobs are not that large. Most Mohave Bobs males will regularly weigh in at about seventeen pounds or less. Females are generally smaller, averaging ten or eleven pounds.

The average "alley cat" male probably weighs around ten pounds. Mohave Bobs males are considerably larger, although they are slow to mature. They frequently take up to three years to reach their full weight.

Mohave Bob Registration

Mohave Bobs are registered with the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry, P. O. Box 543, Walnut Cove, NC 27052.

Mohave Bob Acceptable Breed Outcrosses

Mohave Bobs maybe bred with Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx and Alpine Lynx which are part of the same breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Mohave Bobs, Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx and Alpine Lynx may be bred together. The curled-haired kittens may be registered as Mohave Bobs, the straight-haired straight-eared kittens may be registered as Desert Lynx, straight-haired curled-eared kittens as Highland Lynx and those being white as Alpine Lynx. The breeds are identical except for the hair, ears and color. The curled hair of the Mohave Bobs are caused by a dominant gene which curls the hair. When the breeds are bred together, the straight-haired kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled hair. Therefore, breeders wishing to work with Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx or Alpine Lynx only would not have to worry about getting curled-haired recessive genes in Desert Lynx, Highland or Alpine Lynx who have Mohave Bobs in their ancestry.

Head 40 points

Shape 5

Ears 5

Eyes 7

Profile 5

Muzzle 7

Chin 7

Nose 4

Body 30 points

Torso 7

Legs/Feet 7

Tail 7

Boning 8

Musculature 6

Coat 20 points

Length 5

Texture 10

Pattern/Color 5

Other 10 points

Balance/Condition 5

Temperament 5

Ears: Medium to large, set at a 30° angle on the head, clearly visible in a frontal view. Width between ears being a minimum of 3-4 fingers. Ear furnishings and ear tufts are desired but not required.

Curled ears should have pinched base with a loose relaxed curl with little backward direction, firm at the base, flexible at the tips, allowing the tips of the ears to be clearly visible in a frontal view. Kittens may have a greater degree of curl but not more than 90°.

Eyes: Large, soft triangle in shape. Set at a slight bias to the ear. Deep set, minimum one eye-width apart. It is common for the Mohave Bob eyes to appear to have a fierce wildcat look, due to the appearance of fur above eye (brow). Eye color has no relationship to coat color, except in snow lynx, minks, and sepias.

Profile: Slightly rounded broad forehead to eye ridge, slight concave break from eye ridge to bridge of nose. Nose, muzzle and chin form a blunt look in profile.

Muzzle: Full, wide, strong with a definite stop. Muzzle makes head appear wider than long. Muzzle break at well-defined cheeks.

Chin: Strong well-developed, in alignment with the nose, depth of chin obvious.

Torso: Semi Cobby rectangular in shape. Medium to large in size with noticeable depth. Chest full and broad. Back to be straight but not level, rising slightly toward hips. Hips almost as wide as chest. Deep flank.

Legs/Feet: In proportion to the body, legs of medium length and substantial boning. Feet large and wide, almost round, with big knuckles and fleshy toes. Polydactyl allowed, seven toes maximum. Leg and wrist must be straight when viewed from the front. All toes must rest on the floor and appear sound. Toe tufts are desirable in longhairs.

Tail: Tail lengths may vary from appearing tailless to short thick tails in lengths that extend to the hocks, but not past it. Kinks and curls are acceptable.

Length: In both coat lengths, the curls are most prominent on the neck and tail. The curliness of the coat on the saddle area of the back is variable due to climate, seasons and hormones, especially in females.

Texture: Texture: Resilient, all weather. Double coat in both hair lengths being soft and plush.

Pattern/Color: Has three coat patterns in all colors, except White, Bi or non Snow Lynx Torties--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, and lilac--including silvers, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. However, it is not uncommon for them to occur in red and cream colors.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Balance/Condition: The overall appearance should radiate good health; eyes should be clear and coat and body tone should reflect health sustenance.

Temperament: Must be unchallenging. Any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. Cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee or complain aloud, but may not threaten to harm. Should be confident, alert and friendly.